Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel, Cape Town
Expert reviews
“This distinctive pink landmark has been the grande dame of Cape Town since it opened its doors in 1899 to accommodate passengers just off the Union-Castle steamships.”
Featured as Fodor’s Choice in Cape Town.
“Painted pink in 1918 to commemorate peace and the end of World War I, Mount Nelson, A Belmond Hotel, Cape Town is one of Cape Town’s most talked-about landmarks. An icon in its own right, the hotel has welcomed many famous guests over the years, including Queen Elizabeth II, John Lennon, Nelson Mandela and even the Dalai Lama.”
“Located at the foot of Table Mountain, this thoroughly updated historic hotel has been a Cape Town landmark or two centuries. The extraordinary pink exterior has earned the hotel a number of famous nicknames, ‘Mount Nelson Pink’ and ‘Pink Lady’ among them.”
“Cape Town’s iconic pink lady opened her doors in 1899, and has attracted a well-heeled mix of loyal guests ever since. Service is impeccable, interiors are glamorous, gardens immaculately groomed, and the number of restaurants, bars and city sights within strolling distance to its doorstep are plentiful.”
What guests liked
- Friendly staff
- Excellent breakfast
- Top location
- Excellent Wifi
- Comfortable beds
All you need to know
Located on 76 Orange Street in the famous Gardens district of Cape Town, this five-star establishment offers posh and lush accommodation and room options looking to get the best of thrills and excitement the city has to offer. As the perfect departure spot to the most famous attractions in the city, the Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel offers proximity to these places while the farther areas can be easily reached by the shuttle services offered by the hotel. Form the hotel; you can enjoy the various city places of interest such as Table Mountain and Robben Island.
The several wings in the hotel rooms have unique characteristics that are peculiar to them. This was put in place so that guests can sample as many choices as possible before arriving at a decision. The hotel is regarded as iconic due to its beautiful design and architecture as well as the efficiency of the services provided by the hotel.
The rooms in the hotel feature standard amenities such as full air conditioning, free Wi-Fi, a minibar and a flat-screen TV with several cable channels. The private bathrooms also come with marble floors and thoughtful touches such as toiletries and bathroom slippers.
Guests can enjoy the very best of meals served tastefully and exquisitely in the restaurants. Here, they have several options on the menu ranging from local dishes to continental cuisines.
The hotel offers an outdoor pool where guests can enjoy several laps after a long day. Other facilities and services offered are an outdoor terrace, airport shuttle, car hire, gift shop and VIP room facilities for special guests.
Lowest price guarantee
We partner with Booking.com and Agoda. Both booking websites offer the lowest price guarantee so you can be certain you will always get the best deal for this hotel. If you have seen a better price elsewhere, all you need to do is contact the booking website and they will refund you the difference immediately. You can price match right up until the day before check-in.
Location
Recent guest reviews
25 February 2024
Wonderful stay in a classic, great service food & accomodation don’t hesitate
The staff the service the cleanliness the food the attention to detail the manager of this hotel is clearly a true magician
The bar needs to be bigger when it rains on the rare occasion!
20 February 2024
Amazing journey with best hospitality hotel
Everything. Staff, localisation, commodities, food…
Nothing
15 February 2024
Very good
Beautiful and very well maintained building with a lot of charm. Spacious rooms. Beautiful gardens and grounds beautiful art collection throughout the hotel Great gym Some team members were friendly efficient and chatty, contrarily to most others (special thanks to Sim, All the concierge team, Shepard, and one doorman)
Bed not very comfortable Noisy rooms, you hear every step in the room on the higher level Drinks in the garden take a minimum of 20 to 30 minutes to arrive To the exception of above listed, service very impersonal, team is detached. No effort in conversing even if you come to the same place for drinks every night, and are served by the same people. Rooms was on DND as husband was sick (which they knew), they called, asked to remove the DND to give him get well amenities, they effectively woke him up and had him get out of bed
14 February 2024
Family friendly 5-Star excellence & best amenities
This whole experience was incredible! Our expectations were met and beyond that we were treated to countless little surprises and amenities. Never have I received these many extras that were also very thoughtful, good quality and true to the brand. Walking through the property grounds in their garden is lovely and the pool area is very relaxing. Thanks to the guest experience manager Adam Lambert we someone to talk to about our stay and they are eager to perform even better for our next stay. All the staff were super friendly and in love with our 6m baby!
Service by the pool area could be improved as often we were waiting a little too long and sometimes orders were forgotten.
4 February 2024
Exceptional
Overall great, every detail taken care off. Still, for such a big location / hotel with so many guests bit too pricy
24 January 2024
very pleasant
Lovely and tranquil Excellent staff Great welcome
There was lot of focus on afternoon tea for external guests meaning that lunch could not be served in the nicest resturant. this did impact the experience. It also spilled over in to the evening as the room was set up for the day time not the evening and there were not enough tables for two outside. for the price I would have expected smart TVs
10 January 2024
We had a wonderful stay at the Mount Nelson.
The hotel was centrally located, within easy access to all places of interest. The hotel and grounds were beautiful, with part of the hotel having been recently renovated. The staff were exceptionally friendly and hospitable. The food offering and room service was excellent, as were the hotel facilities.
The air con broke down in our room on the first night, but the staff went above and beyond to try and rectify the situation, and ensure we had a wonderful stay thereafter.
5 January 2024
Fabulous
Lovely hotel, lots of history, spacious room
14 December 2023
Wonderful stay, check your credit card for extraneous charges.
The hotel was stunning, the grounds were beautiful and the staff are great.
Unhappy with a charge put on our credit card seven days after we checked out for £85.00. There has been no explanation for this charge. All bills were settled in advance and at check out. In addition, the credit card deposit taken at check in has still not being refunded to our card. After several emails and three weeks later, this has still not been sorted out. Disappointing.
10 December 2023
Exceptional
Had the most amazing stay at the Belmond - the staff went above and beyond for us, they made the experience truly incredible. Thank you all so much!
Nothing!
10 July 2023
The best hotel, the best staff, the best location
Just the best hotel in Cape Town A beautiful colonial hotel with a twist of pure elegance
NOTHING!!!!
18 June 2023
A HUNDRED PERCENT!
We will come back! Top of the line. We did not want to leave.
I think it would be helpful when booking dinners through concierge if they can let the guest know is the dinner/restaurant will be a 2-3 hour meal. We would have passed on a few places because they were 3 hour lunch and a 3 hour dinner. That’s just too long for us especially with kids. But it’s not the hotel or staff’s fault, only a suggestion!
12 June 2023
Loved the history of the place, garden district was nice.
Beautiful grounds to walk about.
Ancient plumbing, perhaps a little too big for my taste.
31 May 2023
A very special hotel
A very special hotel. Our stay will forever be in our memories! The staff without exception were all excellent as was the dining experience
16 May 2023
Exceptional
Just fabulous 👌
29 April 2023
an amazing haven in the middle of cape town with the friendliest staff
the staff were exceptional, so friendly so helpful
not much
15 March 2023
Fabulous
Beautiful hotel, amazing grounds and swimming pool is lovely. Very comfortable stay, brilliant breakfast - the level of service is outstanding
The spa is a little bit tired in comparison to other Belmond hotels
14 March 2023
Best place to stay in Cape Town
Excellent staff, atmosphere, food and location. A true oasis in the city.
Nothing !
10 March 2023
Quite Wonderful.
Quite simply the best breakfast experience in terms of range on offer and location of any hotel in the world that we have stayed in The afternoon tea is quite wonderful too. The pool area is fantastic The staff were smiley, attentive and cared Really a wonderful experience
Could not find anything to fault
9 March 2023
Surpassed all our expectations and more. We will 100% be back.
Everything - Especially the staff, the service and the attention to detail.
Pram or wheelchair access to our room, and from the main lobby area / lift to the pool and breakfast area.
1 March 2023
Fabulous
Its charm, a classic
27 February 2023
Exceptional
Most special place with so much history. Incredible staff. Unbelievable service. All of the smallest things are thought of. We were travelling with a 4 month old baby and on arrival a microwave and steriliser had been put in our room so that we could sterilise bottles. Also a basket of baby bathing products. The breakfast is exceptional. The pool and gardens are beautiful.
23 February 2023
Exceptional
Breakfast was great, just the one morning the waiter brought us a broken plunger. We ordered croissants with cheddar cheese on the side, but when it arrived, the placed the cheese inside the croissant. Room Service
21 February 2023
Fabulous
The hotel is comparable to the Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok. The style is very classic and traditional. Exceptional is the friendliness of the staff. The quality of food, service and rooms is in line with the status, as the best hotel of Capetown.
Sometimes its difficult to place an order. speed of service is not top.
27 January 2023
exceeded our expectations
the colonial style, staff plentiful and very friendly
nothing loved it
21 January 2023
Stunning City Summer Vacation
The Scenery, the buildings, the garden, the pool and the staff was outstanding
An outdoor playground is missing
11 January 2023
Exceptional
The old world charm, and the sophisticated crowd. It’s up there with any hotel in the world.
10 December 2022
First class stay, set off nicely by the incredible high tea
The most fabulous hotel, visited over 10 years ago and have dreamt about it since and so it was amazing to get the chance to return! The service is second to none, and the hotel itself is beautifully done and extremely clean. The views also exceptional and the extensive gardens make it feel like paradise!
I have no criticisms at all
20 November 2022
Fantastic return visit
Excellent service from very friendly staff
No complaints
11 November 2022
fabulous return stay
excellent service
nothing
10 November 2022
Great experience
Everything was really Great.
Nothing
21 October 2022
perfection
staff attention to detail lovely grounds outstanding meals first class all the way
8 October 2022
Great historical hotel with fantastic staff
historical character, nice garden and great setting
a bit run down rooms, very limited wine list, no hotel limousine - but these are just small things compared to overall great experience
3 October 2022
amazing end to honeymoon
everything, good gym with separate rooms for cardio weights etc, heated pool, great breakfast included, lovely room, lovely gifts in room, bar fantastic, staff great
n/a
2 October 2022
Exceptional
Everything
Nothing
29 September 2022
magnificent
the breakfast was superb, the front desk staff were great , the upgrade for our anniversary was an absolute dream, we will be back
nothing
24 September 2022
Old world elegance
We got an upgrade to junior suite because of conference. The bed and view were spectacular. Staff were very friendly with exceptional service.
29 August 2022
A truly exceptional hotel and staff team
Our stay at Belmond Mount Nelson was a truly wonderful experience from beginning to end - the staff team were extremely friendly and attentive, the food excellent, the hotel's ambience absolutely stunning and its grounds beautiful. Thank you 'Nellie' Team for an extremely memorable honeymoon stay - we can't wait until our next visit, it was absolutely one of the best hotel experiences we have ever had..!
N/A
23 August 2022
Fabulous
Gorgeous hotel! The staff were amazing and couldn't have been more helpful or friendly. I was upgraded to a 1 bedroom suite, which was just amazing. Delicious food in the restaurant. Excellent all round!
There was a bit of miscommunication about a late check out, but that was resolved quickly. Otherwise all fantastic!
21 August 2022
Amazing hotel
We had two rooms and both were very large and well appointed. The grounds of the hotel are beautiful.
Nothing
29 July 2022
gorgeous
absolutely the best place to stay in Cape Town — classic and luxurious! Loved crystal and Busi and Woodrow and Emma
loved everything
18 July 2022
Highly recommended. I wouldn't stay anywhere else.
A wonderful place with amazing staff. Highly recommended. Excellent rooms, food and service.
27 June 2022
Exceptional
Food and team were amazing.
30 May 2022
Exceptional
WOW, WOW, WOW...what an amazing stay at Mount Nelson. From start to finish it was such a relaxing stay. Brilliantly located in Cape Town, we found it so easy to see the sites when we were not relaxing in the hotel. The old-world charm just made you feel at home but by far and away the best thing about Mount Nelson is the staff....each and every person we interacted with were so friendly and helpful.
That we were not staying for longer!!
30 May 2022
fantastic
Classic. Ambiance builtin to the walls. Upp there with Oriental Hotel Bangkok, Raffels Hotel Singapore... etc A must if in Capetown
gym could be better
26 May 2022
An unforgettable and incomparable stay. Splendid!
An exceptional hotel with splendid personnel, sumptuous rooms with every conceivable detail attended to.
15 May 2022
Exceptional
The best hotel to visit Capetown! Great athmosphere, location and top motivated & friendly staff!
12 May 2022
Best hotel in Cape Town
this is one of our favourite hotels in the world. The staff are so friendly and helpful. All the facilities are fantastic and it is so well positioned in Cape Town. we keep going back.
3 May 2022
An exceptional stay at the iconic Mount Nelson Hotel
From the moment we arrived we received an exceptional level of service. The valet took care of our car and luggage. The receptionist upgraded our room and took us to our room. Later that day there was a box of chocolates in our room. Lots of little touches that made this a memorable stay at the Nellie! Breakfast was of a very high standard and staff were very attentive.
Nothing!
Hotel facilities
Food & Drink
- - Restaurant
- - Bar
- - Breakfast in the room
- - Special diet menus (on request)
- - Kid meals (additional charge)
- - Kid-friendly buffet
- - Wine/champagne (additional charge)
- - Fruits
General
- - Room service
- - Non-smoking rooms
- - Facilities for disabled guests
- - Barber/beauty shop
- - Family rooms
- - Lift
- - Safety deposit box
- - Packed lunches
- - Car hire
- - Heating
- - Non-smoking throughout
- - Air conditioning
- - Designated smoking area
- - Shuttle service (free)
- - Shuttle service (additional charge)
- - Pet basket
- - Pet bowls
Business facilities
- - Meeting/banquet facilities (additional charge)
- - Business centre
- - Fax/photocopying (additional charge)
Reception services
- - 24-hour front desk
- - Currency exchange
- - Tour desk
- - Luggage storage
- - ATM/cash machine on site
- - Concierge service
- - Private check-in/check-out
- - Invoice provided
Activities
- - Tennis court
- - Sauna
- - Fitness centre
- - Fishing (additional charge)
- - Games room
- - Spa and wellness centre (additional charge)
- - Massage (additional charge)
- - Children's playground
- - Billiards
- - Canoeing (additional charge)
- - Hiking
- - Cycling
- - Diving (additional charge)
- - Horse riding (additional charge)
- - Snorkelling (additional charge)
- - Kids' club
- - Tennis equipment
- - Beauty Services
- - Facial treatments
- - Waxing services
- - Hair treatments
- - Manicure
- - Pedicure
- - Hair cut
- - Hair colouring
- - Hair styling
- - Body treatments
- - Body scrub
- - Spa facilities
- - Steam room
- - Spa lounge/relaxation area
- - Spa/wellness packages
- - Back massage
- - Neck massage
- - Foot massage
- - Couples massage
- - Head massage
- - Full body massage
- - Fitness
- - Yoga classes
- - Fitness classes
- - Personal trainer
- - Walking tours
- - Tour or class about local culture (additional charge)
Outdoors
- - Garden
- - Terrace
- - Outdoor pool
- - Sun terrace
- - Outdoor pool (all year)
- - Outdoor furniture
Entertainment and family services
- - Babysitting/child services (additional charge)
- - Board games/puzzles
- - Indoor play area
Cleaning services
- - Laundry (additional charge)
- - Dry cleaning (additional charge)
- - Ironing service (additional charge)
- - Daily housekeeping
Parking
- - Parking garage
- - Accessible parking
Accessibility
- - Wheelchair accessible
- - Toilet with grab rails
- - Higher level toilet
- - Lower bathroom sink
- - Emergency cord in bathroom
Pool and wellness
- - Pool with view
- - Heated pool
- - Pool bar
- - Shallow end
- - Sun loungers or beach chairs
- - Sun umbrellas
- - Swimming pool
- - Swimming Pool
Miscellaneous
- - 24-hour security
- - Key card access
- - Smoke alarms
- - CCTV in common areas
- - CCTV outside property
- - Fire extinguishers
- - Breakfast takeaway containers
- - Delivered food is securely covered
- - Access to health care professionals
- - Thermometers for guests provided by property
- - Face masks for guests available
28 February 2024
exceeded all expectations